Includes bibliographical references. / The focal aim of this thesis is to assess whether the current coping and adaptation mechanisms of small-scale farmers in the South African Province of Mpumalanga are sufficient for dealing with projected climate change.

Increased urban development has resulted in increased impervious landcover and the removal of natural vegetation. The continued anthropic modification of the Earth's surface towards an urban state, has had profound effects on the surrounding natural systems (Thompson et al., 2008). Consequently, recent studies have highlighted a strong link between expanding urbanisation and thermal impacts on streams and rivers draining urban catchments (Roa-Espinosa et al., 2003; Arrington, 2003; Herb et al., 2009b). Anthropogenic perturbations such as thermal pollution can adversely disturb the natural thermal regime of a river (Boothe and Bledsoe, 2009). An important source of thermal pollution is thermally enriched stormwater runoff. During a rainfall event, runoff temperature is elevated as it makes contact with, and passes over surfaces which have a large heat storage capacity, such as pavements, roofs and roads (Young et al., 2013). However, the extent of impervious surfaces and resulting thermal pollution produced by them is poorly understood, although it is thought to be a major contributor to stream degradation. Previous research has focused on investigating the thermal effects of removing riparian vegetation. Additionally, a recent research approach has been to develop models of the urban surface-water-atmosphere systems. Finally, research in the field of fresh-water ecology has investigated the effects of temperature on aquatic biota. Water temperature affects all aspects of freshwater ecosystems and plays an important role in regulating physical and biological characteristics of a river (Olsen et al. 2011). Consequently, any anthropogenic modification to temperature can have devastating effects on the ecological functioning of a river and biodiversity of species within the river habitat. Important findings by Young et al. (2013) suggest the need for a detailed study of stormwater temperature changes in relation to rainfall events, at a catchment scale. Furthermore, data is required to show the point source effects of stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces on the temperature of the receiving water body. Therefore, the aim of this study is: To determine the extent and risk of thermal pollution at site specific discharge points, along the Liesbeek River. In order to achieve this aim, variables which cause temperature variations needed to be identified. The primary research method makes use of Thermocron iButton Temperature Loggers. These were placed in four stormwater outlet pipes, which frequently discharge event-based stormwater runoff into the Liesbeek River. Additionally, iButton loggers were placed in the river channel, to provide a reference temperature to compare stormwater discharge temperature. In addition, hourly rainfall and air temperature was acquired from the South AfricanWeather Service (SAWS) and was used in conjunction with the iButton temperature data.

Includes bibliographical references. / ISO 14001's increasing importance in trade considerations and growing status within regulatory policies means that eventually, few organizations of any size and in any country will be able to ignore it. But does the standard discriminate against the Developing World? Is it accurate to measure the success a country has had in implementing ISO 14001 without taking its size and wealth into account? Are critics of the standard missing the point? This paper examines these questions from the South African perspective and proposes a new method to measure the extent of ISO 14001 acceptance between countries of differing population and economic output.

[T]his study sought to explore and examine the role of human agency in reducing and managing everyday risks in two African informal settlements through the lens of child injury prevention. The methodology used for data collection and data analysis comprised both qualitative and quantitative research methods. A total of 100 household questionnaires were administered in the two study sites. In addition, field observations, two focus group discussions in each study site were facilitated and key informants interviews were conducted. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data, which was complemented by qualitative data.

Bibliography: pages 27-33. / Ecotourism is often endorsed as an ideal tool sustainable development that can successfully link the dual goals of nature conservation and rural development. However, critics have highlighted that the negative impacts ecotourism on local communities can undermine the value community development. The participation of local communities in planning for, and implementing, ecotourism development has, therefore, been recommended. This paper addresses some of the problems facing a local community that has the opportunity to develop its own ecotourism venture. It focuses on the difficulties that have been encountered in securing the necessary local participation in planning for a proposed tourism development. These problems include a lack of local awareness about the proposed development, lack of support for the development and lack of capacity to plan a marketable, environmentally sustainable tourism product. Some of the actions for eliciting greater local participation and equipping local to plan for and accommodate tourism are presented. The application of these to the case study reveals a need for sensitivity to local conditions on the part of external agents of change.

Bibliography: pages 107-118. / This study examines the sensitivity of the atmospheric circulation to vegetation change over South Africa in the context of the portended global warming. This is achieved using a vegetation model driven by climate change information and subsequently incorporated within a general circulation model (GCM). The stand-alone vegetation model is driven using precipitation, temperature and relative humidity derived from downscaling using artificial neural networks. The vegetation model is then run with perturbed precipitation, temperature and relative humidity from downscaled model data from lxCO₂ and 2xCO₂ GCM simulations. The resultant vegetation perturbation response to climate change is then examined and incorporated into the GCM in order to ascertain the atmospheric sensitivity to vegetation changes. The off-line results of the vegetation model indicate a moderate degree of sensitivity of the vegetation to perturbations in precipitation, temperature and relative humidity. The general trend in response to the CO₂ climate is a westwards and altitudinal shift of lowland vegetation over the eastern part of the country, and a southwards and eastwards shift of the more dryland vegetation in the west. These shifts are in accordance with expected responses, since lowland vegetation responds more to temperature changes and the dryland vegetation to precipitation changes. Nonetheless, the use of the model provides a physically justifiable scenario on which to base the GCM studies, and at a finer resolution than otherwise available. A GCM simulation with the perturbed vegetation was then performed using sea surface temperature boundary conditions for 1980 and compared to an identical GCM run without the perturbation. 1980 was chosen since this year does not represent either a strong El Niño or La Niña year. The atmospheric sensitivity to the vegetation perturbation has been examined in terms of climatic variables such as temperature, precipitation, pressure, specific humidity, horizontal divergence, and sensible and latent heat fluxes. The results show that the atmosphere is quite sensitive to relatively small vegetation changes. Atmospheric response to vegetation perturbations indicates greater sensitivity over the NW and SE regions of southern Africa. The perturbation indicates a reduction in precipitation over the SE interior, related to less moisture feeding in over the interior from the SE Indian Ocean. Wind speed changes over the adjacent ocean were also evident, and are probably related to the changes in the South Atlantic and Indian high pressures. A southwards extension of the Hadley Cell was also suggested, as well as changes in sensible and latent heat fluxes, relating to precipitation and temperature changes. It is suggested that changes may be in response to the general drying out of the country and the associated increase in aridity. This research forms the preliminary investigation for further work incorporating the atmospheric perturbation response back into driving the vegetation model in order to examine the direction of the feedback -- whether this is positive or negative in the longer term. Thus, this study has demonstrated that the atmosphere is significantly sensitive to vegetation changes over South Africa and reinforces the need for improved land surface parameterization schemes and vegetation models in general circulation models.

Through an analysis of three rural communities in these provinces, this research sought to understand how and why benefits arising from the use of coastal resources in the fisheries and mining sectors are shared and distributed in the manner that they are.

In South Africa the systematic collection of water samples from surface waters and the collation of results is the responsibility of the Department of Water and Sanitation, previously the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. Local authorities and private contractors are also responsible for conducting water quality tests for reporting purposes. In most cases, samples are collected by hand at predetermined sites and intervals across the country, and are tested for a standard set of parameters that covers various physical, chemical and bacteriological water quality measures. This approach and method of monitoring is time consuming, expensive and requires a high level of skills and capacity to achieve a representative and reliable sample. There is no immediate substitute, although there is a resurgence of interest in the use of bio-indicators in monitoring rivers. In this study, diatoms are investigated as an indicator of water quality because of the relative abundance of species and the ease with which they can be collected in the field, and the establishment of taxonomies of species that are aligned to pollution levels. There is limited knowledge about diatoms species found in lotic conditions, and in seasonal conditions in a Mediterranean climate where the surface water is slightly acidic. This study investigates the use diatoms in lotic waters of the Western Cape and compares this information to surface water quality measurements in the upper and middle course of the Berg River. The study commences by establishing baseline information of diatoms species for the upper to middle section of the Berg River which coincides with sites where surface water samples are regularly collected by the Department of Water and Sanitation. The study was conducted over a 12 month period in order to analysis the response of species to seasonal change and in relation to changing conditions at various point sources of where there is a known discharge into the Berg River. Species and population will be compared to the typological classification of diatom species and in relation to surface water quality. The study seeks to understand how diatoms respond to acidic waters of the Berg River; to measure the response of diatoms to changes in the water quality along the length of the river; and to determine the response of diatom species to point sources discharging water of varying quality into the river.

Includes bibliographical references.

Bibliography: leaves 146-155. / Sea surface temperature (SSTs) variations in the South Indian Ocean have been found to influence rainfall over Southern Africa. As one of the modes of South Indian Ocean SST variability, the subtropical South Indian Ocean dipole is observed to be associated with dry and wet summer conditions over Southern Africa. The positive phase of the subtropical South Indian Ocean dipole is characterized by warm SST anomalies in the southwest South Indian Ocean and cool SST anomalies in the southeast. This phase is associated with above average summer rainfall over the subcontinent. The negative phase is associated with dry conditions over Southern Africa and is characterized by cool SST anomalies in the southwest and warm anomalies in the southeast South Indian Ocean. In order to investigate the atmospheric response over Southern Africa to this phenomenon, this study uses the MM5 regional climate model in which the model is forced with a warm pole SST anomaly south of Madagascar.